Beacon light



K. WIEGAND BEACON LIGHT April 7, 1931.

Filed Feb. 29, 1928 INVENTOR KURT WIEGAND V baa/L ATTOR NEY Patented Apr. 7, 1 931 a v UNITED STATES PATENT oFF cE KURT WIEGAND, OF BERLIN, GERMANY, .ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY,

A CQBIEORATION OF N YORK BEACON LIGHT Application filed February 29, 1928, Serial No. 258,078, and in Germany April 25, 1927.

The present invention relates to aviation beacons and is useful in thearts generally.

For the illumination of flying fields and for the" production of beacons for flying courses there have latterly b-en used in an lncreasing measure electric gaseous dlscharge light tubes, as these send out a peculiar far visible light.

The. object of the present invention is to secure an increase of the light intensityin the horizontal direction from such light tubes and this is found to be most advantageous as the flyer, if he is at a greater distance fromthebeacon, observes the light always at an angle of a few degrees relative to the horizontal.

In accordance with the invention,there fore,

every light tube used for the radiation of light or-to give signals is in a novel manner arranged .pver the peak of a reflector built in the shape of a saddle roof. By the latter the largest part of the otherwise uselessly downwardly directed light rays are'spread out in opposite directions and thus the light radiation to all sides of' the freely placed light tube is essentially increased in the horizontal.

In order to obtain the best possible light ray distribution in the horizontal plane, the newly developed and arranged reflector is advantageously formed oftwo roof-likeparabolic reflector parts put together with a common focus and the light tube standing over the reflector is arranged in. this common focus. I

Several xamples of forms of construction areshown in thedrawing of beacons developed according to the invention.

Figures 1 and 2 show diagrammatically in cross-section and in top view a beacon con;

sisting of an electric light tube and a reflector. Figure 3 shows a cross-section through a beacon with a somewhat diflerently'sh'aped roof.

Figures 4 and 5 showgin elevation and in ground plan a'beacon with two light tubes complementing each other in-a square.

Figures 6 and 7 show in elevation andin ground plan a beacon in which a circularly bent light tube is used. I

Figures 8 and 9 show in elevation and in horizontal.

ground plan a beacon with a screw-like wound light tube and a screw-like wound reflector.

The beacon shown in Figures 1 and 2 consistsessentially of a reflector 6 built on an even support and has the form ofa long drawn out flat saddle roof, as also of a straight light tube (2/, arranged freely over the peak 'of the reflector andhaving at its ends, elecdle roof reflectoiyso that the light radiation of thealight tube takes place mainly in the In the lighttube of Figure 3 the reflector surfaces of the roof-shapedreflector 6 form parts of two parabolic reflectors as indicated by the dotted lines and which are so pushed into each other, that a common focus results.- The light tube a is arranged in the latter. In this form of construction the light rays of the light tube a going downwardly are all turned off exactly in a horizontal direction, which has as a result an intense light radiation in the horizontal. .4 In order to obtain as uniform as' possible a light distribution in the entire horizontal plane it is possible, as shown in Figures a and 5, to use as reflectors two angle pieces I), Z) with a roof-shaped cross-section. Both angle pieces are as especially shown in F lg- 85 me 4 arranged at a different height and, Inoreover, so that they complement each other as a square when looking down on them. Over each angle'piece b, b there is each time arranged a light tube a, a of the same angle form, which at the ends have the electrodes, 0, 0. These light tubes also lie in a different' height and'complement each other to a square. The angle shape of the reflectors and light tubes favors a uniform light radiation in all four main directions of the horizontal plane, and due tothe different position in height of the angle pieces and of the light tubes, the interiorly lying parts of the angle pieces and light tubes can radiate thelight in a horizontal direction without hindrance. There cannot therefore occur any noteworthy loss of light.

A beacon light of a square form can naturally be obtained also by the combination of four straight roof reflectors and four light tubes. The roof reflectors and light tubes may also be combined to a polygonal, a three cornered or other desired closed figure, which guarantees a good light distribution to all sides. I

In the form of execution as in Figures 6 and 7there are used two roof reflectors b, I) each of a semi-cylindrical shape, which are likewise arranged at diiferent heights in order to avoid. obstructing any part of the horizontal radiations. Over these roof reflectors there extends in this case a single light tube of a circular shape and provided with the step-like bendd. Figures 8 and 9 finally show a beacon light in which as well as the roof-shaped reflector b the light tube a lying above it are wound each like an upwardly rising screw thread. What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. A beacon light comprising in combination, a tubular source of light having a distinctive configuration, and two reflecting surfaces whose line of junction is adjacent to and conforms to the configuration of said light source, said surfaces reflecting rays from the.

. tinctive configuration, and a reflector having adjacent portion of said source in opposite directions horizontally, each point on said tubular light source being in such a plane as to avoid interference with the horizontal radiations emanating from the opposite side of said source. r

2. A beacon light comprising, in combina-- tion, a tubular source of light having a distinctive configuration, and at least one reflector having two reflecting surfaces whose line of junction is adjacent to and conforms to the configuration of said light tube or tubes,

opposite sections of said light source being so arranged as to avoid interference with the horizontal light rays emanating from the opposite side of said source.

' 3. A beacon light comprising, in combination, a tubulartsource of light having a distwo parabolic surfaces so shapedand mounted with respect to said light source that the ad acent part of said tubular light source is continuously at the common focus of said parabolic surfaces, sald surfaces reflecting rays from the adjacent portion of said source in opposite directions horizontally, each point on said light source being in such a plane as to avoid interference with the horizontal light rays emanating from the 0ppo-' site side of said source.

4. A beacon light comprising, in combination, a curved'tubular source of light, the projection of said light source on a horizontal plane'forming substantially a closed figure,

and two reflecting surfaces whose line of unction is adjacent to and conforms to the curva-' 

